'I Am Proud Of Who I Am' Book One by B. Woster

★★★★★

Learning About Others

​I have always loved learning about other’s cultures, countries, folk lore, etc. it doesn’t matter what it is, I find it fascinating. This book does more than that, it not only shares a piece of what is different and interesting in each country but also shows that we have similarities as well, that we all dream.

​This book is a blend of fictional characters, between pre-teen and teen years, what they aspire to be when they grow up and facts about the country they live in, that aren’t necessarily common knowledge. Each country that is introduced is done so through the characters voice, like a teenager is conversing with the reader and the facts they share are referenced at the bottom of each page.

The cover art is unique and out of the box, it definitely makes you want to pick it up. The art throughout is very well done. It is a blend of real photos showing a part of the country in the backdrop with the character and some other aspect added in the forefront, as well as the country’s flag.

As I read this book to my 6- and 9-year-old, not only did my children get introduced to different faces and places, but they also got to hear about different careers that each character wanted to do when they grew up. Not all of these are your standard astronaut, doctor, lawyer jobs either. One young girl wanted to become a comedian and my kids actually laughed at the joke she told in the book. One boy wanted to become a chocolatier and another an Imam.

We read this book over a few nights and though my 9-year-old sat and listened, my 6-year-old did get up to read something else after the 1st night, but she always came back at least once each evening to look at a picture or two that I was reading. Both my children reacted (‘what!?’) to some of the facts that were presented in the book as we read and even I learned some things as well. The book was closed out with a list of the countries being featured in Book Two.

This is definitely a book series that I’ll be nabbing when each book becomes available. Highly recommended.